Molding apparatus for roadway markers



Feb. 13, 1951 1 T. ROBINSON 2,541,547

MOLDI-NG APPARATUS FOR ROADWAY MARKERS Filed June 15. 1948 (Ilia/116% Patented Feb. 13, i951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOLDING APPARATUS FOR ROADWA MARKERS 6 Claims. l

' This invention relates to devices for forming highway markers and, more particularly, to a portable molding machine for forming raised molds on Vhighway surfaces.

The object of the invention is to provide a molding machine which can be readily transported to sites of operation for forming raised 'molds which, for all practical purposes, become integral with the highway, such molds being usable for denoting lane separation, for dening parking stalls, and as barriers. It is further intended to provide a molding machine capable of forming molds of various cross-section and of 'infinite length, .depending upon the requirements of any given task. v

More particularly, the object is to provide a portable mold into which an aggregate mix of asphalt or a like material commonly used for surfacing may be poured and, as the machine is moved along the highway, the mold is prelimiynarily formed by an advance portion of the mae chine, subsequent to which the mold is further compacted by a rear porticn,'and tamped to iinal 'form while within the confines of a final nishing .'form.

Another object is to provide a molding machine having hollow, tunnel-like molds serially pivoted together for forming raised markers from the material fed into the front mold and passing beneath'them as they are moved lengthwise lalong a road, and resiliently to bias the rearmost mold so that it tends to pivot upwardly in readiness to receive a tamping blow whereby to compress the material therebeneath. Still another object is to .provide vertically adjustable shoes on the lower edges of the molds for adjusting their effective heights above a roadway and, in turn, to adjust the height and cross-section of the markers formed thereby.

These and other objects will be apparent in the following specification and drawings in which: k v Figrl is a perspective view of the machine and showing the parts in their relative positions dur- 'ing the tamping operation; v Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the machine yparts in their relative nominal positions in which 'the nishing-mold is ready to receive a'ltamping blow;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine as shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing in which like formed preferably of sheet metal or other suitf ably rigid material. Rectangular front wall 4a is unbroken, but rear wall lib is formed with an inverted V-shaped cutout sofas to fit complementarily over an advance mold which, as will be seen best in Fig. 1, is cut away in the region occupied by hopper 2. l

Advanced mold is an elongated, tunnel-lik body substantially offinverted V-shape in cross section and having its lower edges 6a flanged ldownwardly. Shoes l comprising elongatedfmetal strips are secured to lower edges 6a for vertical adjustment by bolts 8 which extend outwardly through suitable openings in edges Ea and through lvertical slits 9 in the shoes, these parts being held in adjusted position by nuts It. It will thus be seen that the effective height of advance mold 6 above a roadway may be altered by vertical adjustment of shoes l. n

A rear mold I2 is arranged serially behind ad- Vance mold 6 and is distinguished by its front portion I3 which tapers downwardly from its forward end toward the rear. Rear mold IZ'has shoes i4 rthereon adjustable in the manner of shoes l. The rear portion I6, which is rigid'gwith front portion I2, is of uniform cross section from front to rear and similar in form and size to the rear end of front portion I3 for reasons apparent hereafter. Y Advance and rear molds 6 and I2 are serially connected by hinge IB operating abo-ut a horizontal axis transverse to the lengths of the molds so that rear mold I2 may swing upwardly with respect to the remainder of the assembly. Hinge I8 is connected by bolts to saddles 2i! and 22 afxed on molds 5 and l2 respectively. The rear end of mold 2 is supported by a relatively heavy leaf spring 24 having its front end anchored be` neath plate 26 and with its rear end slidingly held beneath a plate 28. Plate 28 is loosely held by bolts 3D affixed vertically in a saddle 32 which, in turn, is rigidly affixed on the top of finishing form I6. Leaf spring 20 is formed so as normally to bias rear mold I2 upwardly to about the position shown in Fig. 2.

An anvil 34 is afiixed on the top of saddle 32 for receiving a tamping blow from suitable tamping iron 36, it being understood that instead of anvil 34, equivalent elements such as a socket may be used, and that various elements may be substituted for tamping iron 36 for exerting a.

3 downward force preferably on the rear portion of rear mold I6.

The machine is preferably loaded by a removable weight 38 having eye bolts 40 which form terminals for a sling 42, the weight 38 being removable merely for facilitating the handling` of the machine.

The assembly is slidable along a roadway from left to right as vseen in Figs. 1 and 2 by a detachable handle 44 having a socket 45 on its lower end selectively fitting over a laterally extending stub 48 or a stub 50 extending forwardly, the handle being secured to either `stub by bolts 52.. The assembly may be dragged forwardly also by tractor hitch 54, these traction elements all being affixed on a saddle 5S on the front end advance mold G. It is apparent that when the machine is being dragged by a tractor, handle 44 may be fitted over lateral stub 48 so that the machine may be manually guided.

jIn operation the loose aggregate is .dumped into hopper 4 so that its mass rests .on the roadway through the open bottom of the hopper, As the 'assembly is moved forwardly, the -aggregate passes relatively backwardly through the cutout of rear hopper wall 4b and beneath 4the 0inverted V-shaped advance mold 6 Which aiects a preliminary shaping o f the aggregate so that it becomes an elongated, loosely compacted ridge. As the machine is further advanced, the `front end of rear mold I2 embraces the ridge and, `because of the downward and rearward taperving of Amold I2 the ridge of aggregate is compacted downwardly while the rear mold I2 tends to ride up slightly on the aggregate. Thereupon tamping is commenced so thatwhen the mach'me has moved forwardly enough for rear portion I6 ,to start along the ridge, the aggregate will have vbeen compacted almost to its nal consistency. Further tamping by repeated blows on rear portion I6 until the shoes I4 on rear mold I2 come ,down even with the roadway as shown in Fig. 1 iinishes the forming of the ridge 58.

If runners 'I and I4 are adjusted downwardly with respect to molds ii and l2 it is apparent that Vthe marker rdige 58 will be slightly higher. Likewise, if molds o. and I2 are given a curve or 'otherwise different cross section shape, Amarker yridge 58 will partake of a corresponding cross section. Various other Amechanical changes and arrangements may be made without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A machine for molding raised markers and :the like on a roadway comprising, in combination, a first elongated mold of substantially inverted V-shaped cross section vhaving 44front and rear ends and an intermediate portion Vof the top lthereof cut away to provide an opening, a hopper the top of said front portion being sloped downwardly from front to rear, and a spring connected between said molds urging said second mold to pivot upwardly against tamping impacts.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 the rear portion of said second mold being of substantially uniform height and cross section and substantially equal to the cross section at the rear of said front portion.

3. A machine for molding raised markers and the like on a roadway comprising, in combination, a first elongated mold of substantially inverted V-shaped cross section having front and rear ends and an intermediate portion of the top thereof cut away to provide an opening, a hopper disposed over said opening, a second elongated mold of substantially inverted V-shaped cross section and having open front and rear ends, a pivot operating about a horizontal axis transverse to the lengths of said molds and connected to the tops of said first and second molds adjacent the rear and front ends thereof, respectively, and a tension spring having its ends .connected to the tops of said molds urging ,said second mold to pivot upwardly againsttamping impacts.

4. The combination claimed in claim 3, and -an anvil affixed on the top of said `second mold ad:A jacent to rear end thereof for receiving atamping blow.

5. In the combination claimed in claim 3, show comprising elongated strips extending lengthwise along the lengths of the lower edges of said mQlld and adjustable means connecting said ,moldsr ,to said shoes whereby the latter may be adjusted vertically for altering the heights o f said ,molds above the roadway.

6. A machine for molding raised markers and the like on a roadway comprising a hopper member for receiving the material to .be molded, said hopper member having roadway-engaging means on its low-er portion and an Voutlet in .one side thereof, an open-bottom, elongated mold having open entrance and exit ends, the .entrance end being disposed towards said outlet; the height of the cross section of a portion of the interior of said mold being smaller than the cross section of said outlet, whereby said mold will ride up on material issuing fromsaid outlet when said ,mach-ine is moved along said roac'lwayp means pivotally connecting one end of said mold .and -said hopper member' whereby said lmold may pivot upwardly, and spring vmeans Urge said mold to pivot upwardly against tamping= impacts.

LAWRENCE T. ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS the Bally Sept. 9, 19.451 

